Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata | Book Review & Thoughts on “Normal”

This was a short but surprisingly thought-provoking read.

It’s funny in a very dry way and sometimes quite uncomfortable — because the person who seems “strange” may actually be the one who understands the world most clearly.

The story follows Keiko, a woman who has worked at the same convenience store for 18 years and is perfectly happy with her life.

Keiko has always been considered unusual. Even as a child, she reacted to situations differently from everyone else.

But because she doesn't follow the usual path of getting married, having children and building a conventional career, everyone around her thinks something is wrong with her. They think she needs to be “fixed.”

I actually liked how the book made me question what “normal” really means. Why do we assume everyone has to want the same things in life?

And then there’s Shiraha. 🫩

The more I read about him, the more I kept thinking, is there really such a human being? And how can someone like this exist and live their life?

What an arrogant, useless human being. I honestly found him so infuriating. 😂

He drove me crazy, but perhaps that's also what made his character so memorable.

Maybe that's part of what makes the book so good — it makes you uncomfortable, makes you question society, and definitely gives you someone to hate. 😂

Not sure I loved the book, but it definitely gave me a lot to think about.

Maybe the biggest takeaway for me is that “normal” is not necessarily the same as “right.” We all have different ideas of what makes a life meaningful, and perhaps we should be a little less quick to decide that someone else needs to be “fixed.”

May xx

I Got Into the Prague Half Marathon 2027 | My Running Journey

Well… I wasn’t expecting this.

I entered the ballot for the Generali Prague Half Marathon 2027 not really knowing what would happen.

And today, I found out:

I GOT IN. 🥹🏃🏻‍♀️

So, apparently, I’m going to Prague on 3 April 2027 to run 21.1 km through one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. 🇨🇿

And there’s an even bigger reason I’m excited about this one.

Prague is part of the SuperHalfs series — six iconic half marathons across Europe, with runners taking on Lisbon, Prague, Berlin, Copenhagen, Cardiff and Valencia.

And somehow, I’ve already started my own little SuperHalfs adventure.

Cardiff Half Marathon — October 2026 🏃🏻‍♀️

Lisbon Half Marathon — I got in! 🇵🇹

Prague Half Marathon — I got in! 🇨🇿

Three races on the list. Three cities to run through. And potentially the beginning of a much bigger challenge.

I never really set out thinking, I’m going to complete the SuperHalfs.

But now that I have Cardiff, Lisbon and Prague lined up… well, maybe I should see where this takes me. 😂

No big goals yet. No time target.

Just another race to train for, another city to explore on foot, and another finish line to look forward to.

Sometimes you enter a ballot thinking, let’s see what happens.

And then… it happens.

Prague, I’ll see you in April. 🇨🇿❤️

One more race added to the calendar.

One more reason to keep showing up.

May xx

I Have Too Many Books

I think I may have a small problem.

I have too many books. 😂

And somehow, despite having several apps to track my reading, I still managed to buy duplicate books.

Yes. Duplicate books.

Apparently, knowing what I've already bought is harder than actually buying another book.

So today, I decided it was time to do something about it.

I've been using a few different reading apps to keep track of what I'm reading, what I've read and what I want to read. But somewhere along the way, I realised that what I really need isn't just a reading tracker.

I need a proper catalogue of the books I actually own.

Because there is a difference between knowing what you've read and knowing what is sitting on your bookshelf.

And clearly, I need the latter.

Time to become my own librarian

So today, I found myself sitting in one corner next to my bookshelf, surrounded by books, trying to figure out exactly what I have.

The goal is pretty simple:

Know what I own.

I want to be able to check whether I already have a book before buying it. I want to know which books I've read, which ones are still waiting for me, and, most importantly, avoid buying the same book twice.

You would think this would be easy.

It probably would be if I had started doing this years ago.

Instead, I'm now looking at shelves of books and thinking, When did I buy this one? and Wait… don't I already have this? 😂

And that's exactly how this little project started.

The search for the right app

I've been looking into different apps that can help catalogue a personal library. There are quite a few options out there, and each seems to have its own strengths and limitations.

Some are more focused on reading and reviews. Others are better for cataloguing an actual collection. Some are simple and user-friendly, while others seem to have a lot more features than I probably need.

I'm still figuring out which one works best for me.

For now, though, the most important thing is getting everything into one place.

So today is less about finding the perfect app and more about finally getting organised.

Let's see how many books I actually own

This is probably the part I'm both looking forward to and slightly afraid of.

I have a feeling the final number is going to be higher than I expect.

And I'm almost certain I'll find more duplicates along the way.

But at least once everything is catalogued, I'll have a much better idea of what is actually sitting on my shelves.

Maybe I'll even discover books I've completely forgotten about.

And perhaps — just perhaps — this will stop me from buying another copy of a book I already own.

No promises, though. 😂

For now, I'm officially on librarian duty.

Wish me luck. 

May xx

Book Review: A Quiet Place by Seichō Matsumoto

🚨 SPOILER ALERT 🚨

I read this book a month ago and am now trying to get back on track with my reviews. 😂

The story follows Tsuneo Asai, a Japanese government bureaucrat whose younger wife, Eiko, suddenly dies of a heart attack while out in Tokyo.

At first, Asai accepts her death. She had a heart condition, so a heart attack isn't completely unbelievable. But one thing bothers him, and he starts investigating.

Asai's suspicions about Eiko are basically correct.

And then things take a very different turn.

The man who begins the story investigating a mysterious death eventually becomes a murderer himself.

But the ending felt so strange to me...

The first part reads almost like a very quiet detective story. You're slowly uncovering what Eiko had been hiding and trying to understand what really happened.

But ultimately, I don't think this book is really about solving the mystery of Eiko's death.

It's more about jealousy, obsession and how the need to know the truth can slowly consume you.

And that ending... I still don't know how I feel about it. 😂

Maybe the unsettled feeling is exactly what the author wanted to leave us with. 😮‍💨

May xx

Every Mile Has a Purpose | My Global 6K for Water 2026 Update

A Little Global 6K for Water Update 💙

The challenge has officially started, and I'm slowly getting into the rhythm.

So far:

🏃🏻‍♀️ 66.74 km covered

💧 S$50 raised towards my S$600 target

My Global 6K for Water Singapore 2026 fundraising profile showing distance and funds raised.

The distance is moving along nicely. The fundraising… let's just say we have some work to do. 😂

Which brings me to a little idea I've been playing with…

I'm making some handmade bracelets as part of my Global 6K fundraising. The idea is simple: if you support my fundraiser, I'd love to make you a little bracelet as a thank-you. You can choose a word, or let me surprise you. 🤭

Handmade bracelet created as a thank-you gift for supporters of my Global 6K for Water fundraiser.

I'm also thinking of making a few to bring along when I visit my sponsored child next month, so I can give one as a little gift.

It's a small thing, but I thought it would be a fun way to make this fundraiser a little more personal.

If you'd like to support my Global 6K journey, I'd be truly grateful. And as a little thank-you, I'd love to make you one of these bracelets.

💙 Support my Global 6K fundraiser

https://global6k.worldvision.org.sg/participant!P00238RA

For now, bracelets can only be sent to Singapore & Penang.

And if you don't need one, you can always choose to pass it on. 🤍

Every mile has a purpose.

Together, we're helping bring clean water closer to 12,000 children across Asia and Africa.

May xx